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Crux: Difference between revisions
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In terms of cultural significance, the Crux, like all constellations, played an important role in the belief system of many cultures. In the ancient mountaintop village of Machu Picchu, a stone engraving exists which depicts the constellation. In addition, in Quechua (the language of the Incas) Crux is known as “Chakana”, which literally means “stair”, and holds deep symbolic value in Incan mysticism (the cross represented the three tiers of the world: the underworld, world of the living, and the heavens). To the Aborigines and the Maori, Crux is representative of animist spirits who play a central role in their ancestral beliefs. To the ancient Egyptians, Crux was the place where the Sun God Horus was crucified, and marked the passage of the winter season. <ref>[http://www.universetoday.com/85158/southern-cross-constellation/ Cross]</ref> | In terms of cultural significance, the Crux, like all constellations, played an important role in the belief system of many cultures. In the ancient mountaintop village of Machu Picchu, a stone engraving exists which depicts the constellation. In addition, in Quechua (the language of the Incas) Crux is known as “Chakana”, which literally means “stair”, and holds deep symbolic value in Incan mysticism (the cross represented the three tiers of the world: the underworld, world of the living, and the heavens). To the Aborigines and the Maori, Crux is representative of animist spirits who play a central role in their ancestral beliefs. To the ancient Egyptians, Crux was the place where the Sun God Horus was crucified, and marked the passage of the winter season. <ref>[http://www.universetoday.com/85158/southern-cross-constellation/ Cross]</ref> | ||
==Etymology== | |||
The 15th Century Italian Explorer, Amerigo Vespucci was the first of the Europeans to see the Four Stars, but did not use the title of the Cross, and called them Mandorla. Allen in Star Names notes:, "This literally 'an Almond,' is the word used in Italian art for the [[Vesica Piscis]], the oblong glory, surrounding the bodies of saints ascending to heaven". The word almond, from Latin amygdala, from Greek amugdale, 'almond', is borrowed from Hebrew meghedh El, 'divine fruit'. Related to amygdalate, mandorla [Klein]. The amygdala is an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the anterior portion of the temporal lobe of the brain. The concept of the amygdala as an important contributor to pain and its emotional component is still emerging. Excruciating, crucify and crucifixion all share the same root meaning referring to a cross and to the associated pain and suffering. | |||
The Mandorla is an ancient symbol of two circles coming together, overlapping one another to form an almond shape in the middle. Mandorla is the Italian word for almond. The Mandorla is also known as the [[Vesica Piscis]], symbolizing the interactions and interdependence of opposing worlds and forces. Although the symbol has its origins before the Christian era, the early Christians used the symbol as a method to describe the coming together of heaven and earth, between the divine and human. <ref>[http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Crux.html]</ref> <ref>[http://www.kyrie.com/symbols/mandorla.htm Mandorla]</ref> | |||
==HGS Session References== | ==HGS Session References== | ||